Hook bar adjustment means for tufting machines

ABSTRACT

A looper shaft assembly for a tufting machine is provided with an adjustment means for varying the angularity of the looper bar relative to the looper shaft, the adjustment means including a screw carried by the looper bar mounting bracket and cooperating with a lug secured to the looper shaft.

HOUR BAR ADJUSTMENT MEANS EUR 'lflUlF'HliNG MAClilllNlES The invention concerns tufting machines and has more particular reference to the mounting of looper or hook bars relative to a shaft therefor.

In the setting up of a tufting machine it is necessary accurately to position the looper or hook bar angularly relative to the shaft upon which it is supported and by which it is oscillated in order for the hooks or loopers properly to co-operate with their respective needles.

Usually the looper or hook bar is secured relative to the looper or hook shaft by means of spaced clamping brackets which embrace the said shaft, the bar being carried by the said brackets in any convenient way.

The brackets are mounted on the shaft at a requisite angular disposition thereon and are secured in such position by an appropriate tightening of screws which hold the bracket parts together. Any necessary adjustment of the angular position of the brackets can be effected by slackening off the screws, or alternatively the adjustment can be effected by varying the angularity of the shaft as a whole.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a simple means whereby the angular position of the looper or hook bar (or looper or hook bar sections if the bar is provided in this form) relative to the looper or hook shaft may be adjusted both accurately and effectively. i

According to the present invention a looper or hook shaft assembly comprising a looper or hook shaft, a looper or hook bar (or looper or hook bar sections) mounted longitudinally thereof and mounting brackets supporting the said bar (or bar sections) at a requisite angular position relative to the shaft, is characterised by an adjustment means between the brackets and shaft adapted to effect an angular adjustment of the brackets relative to the shaft.

Preferably, the adjustment means includes an adjustment screw operatively connected with a bracket or brackets and a reaction lug secured to the shaft and with which the said adjustment screw coacts` The invention will now be described further, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings illustrating one embodiment thereof and in which:

FlG. Il is a front elevation of a part of a hook bar shaft assembly embodying the invention; and

FIG. 2 is a section on line A-A of FIG. 1l.

Referring now to the drawing, a hook shaft assembly includes a hook shaft lil, two mounting brackets l2 arranged in spaced disposition upon the shaft there being further such brackets at intervals along the shaft), and a hook bar section 113 secured to such brackets.

Each bracket i2 comprises a generally rectangular body part 12a having a substantially semi-cylindrical recess 12a' therein to receive the shaft if and a capping plate ]lZb likewise having a part cylindrical recess 12b', for engagement with the shaft, the body part and capping plate being secured together by screws 12e.

The adjustment means M of the present invention comprise an eye-bolt Ma mounted on a rod Mb secured to and extending between the brackets l2 at that end thereof remote from the hook bar sections 113, and a lug Mc secured to the shaft llil and through which the remote end of the eye-bolt Ma passes, the said end of the eyebolt being fixed relative to the lug Mc by lock-nuts ldd arranged one at each side of the lug.

ln setting up the assembly the brackets are loosely mounted on the shaft ll so as to be freely movable angularly thereof and a requisite angular position of the brackets B2 (and thus of the hook bar or hook bar sections 13) is achieved bv suitablv adjusting the position of the lock nuts Md. The brackets l2 are then firmly `secured to the shaft l1 in their assumed positions and the assembly is adjusted for operation.

Should it be required that the angularity of the hook bar B3 relative to the hook shaft lll be varied, this can be achieved simply by slacking off the screws 112e which hold the bracket parts together, adjusting the eye-bolt Ma relative to the lug Mc, and then retightening the said screws.

It will be appreciated that by means of the present invention an accurate adjustment of the angular position of a looper or hook bar can be effected in a quick and simple manner independently of the angular position of the looper or hook shaft. if the looper or hook bar is provided in sections, then the positions of the individual sections can be adjusted with an equal facility.

The invention is not restricted to the exact features of the embodiment disclosed since alternatives will readily present themselves to one skilled in the art. Thus, for example, whilst we find it convenient to provide the adjustment means in the form of an eye-bolt mounted on a rod vsecured to and extending between spaced mounting brackets and co-operating with a lug secured to the shaft, other such means may be preferred.

What we claim is:

l. A hook shaft assembly for a tufting machine and comprising a hook shaft, a hook bar mounted longitudinally thereof and mounting brackets supporting the said bar at a requisite angular position relative to the shaft, the improvement comprising an adjustment means between the brackets and shaft adapted to effect an angular adjustment of the brackets relative to the shaft.

2. A hook shaft assembly as claimed in claim 1l wherein the adjustment means includes an adjustment screw operatively connected to one of the parts to be joined and a reaction lug secured to the other of such parts and with which such adjustment screw coacts.

3. A hook shaft assembly as claimed in claim 2 wherein the adjustment screw is operatively connected with a bracket and the reaction lug is provided on the shaft.

4l. A hook shaft assembly as claimed in claim 3 wherein an adjustment screw is disposed between and is common to two adjacent brackets.

5. A hook shaft assembly as claimed in claim 3 wherein the adjustment screw comprises an eye-bolt mounted on a rod secured to the bracket.

II it 

1. A hook shaft assembly for a tufting machine and comprising a hook shaft, a hook bar mounted longitudinally thereof and mounting brackets supporting the said bar at a requisite angular position relative to the shaft, the improvement comprising an adjustment means between the brackets and shaft adapted to effect an angular adjustment of the brackets relative to the shaft.
 2. A hook shaft assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the adjustment means includes an adjustment screw operatively connected to one of the parts to be joined and a reaction lug secured to the other of such parts and with which such adjustment screw coacts.
 3. A hook shaft assembly as claimed in claim 2 wherein the adjustment screw is operatively connected with a bracket and the reaction lug is provided on the shaft.
 4. A hook shaft assembly as claimed in claim 3 wherein an adjustment screw is disposed between and is common to two adjacent brackets.
 5. A hook shaft assembly as claimed in claim 3 wherein the adjustment screw comprises an eye-bolt mounted on a rod secured to the bracket. 